Intel unifies internal AI efforts

SAN FRANCISCO—Intel Corp. announced it would merge all of its artificial intelligence (AI) efforts into a single cross-company organization headed by Naveen Rao, formerly the CEO of Intel acquisition Nervana Systems.

Naveen Rao

In a blog post published Thursday (March 23), Rao said the Artificial Intelligence Products Group (AIPG) would align resources from across Intel, including engineering, labs and software, as Intel builds on its Intel Nervana platform, a full-stack of hardware and software AI offerings.

Rao said Intel would also create an applied AI research lab. "We will be exploring novel architectural and algorithmic approaches to inform future generations of AI," Rao wrote. "This includes a range of solutions from the data center to edge devices, and from training to inference—all designed to enable Intel and its customers to innovate faster."

"I think it's a good sign that Intel recognizes that AI is one of the most important challenges for the computer industry," Kevn Krewell, principal analyst at Tirias Research, told EE Times. Krewell called the appointment of Rao to head the group rather than a long time Intel executive "another symbol of the changing Intel."

Intel considers AI an important opportunity as the company continues to diversify itself beyond the PC and data center markets. At an Intel AI event last November, CEO Brian Krzanich declared Intel's goal of being the trusted leader and developer of AI, which he said would "transform most industries as we know it."

Semiconductor players of all shapes and sizes are maneuvering to cash in on the market opportunity offered by presented by AI. Intel is a significantly larger company than GPU supplier Nvidia or programmable logic vendor Xilinx, with AI related hardware and software that has been housed in various business units.